Saturday’s clash started at full speed—there was a reason it had been named the Match of the Week even before the first whistle. Goals rained in, but unfortunately, so did tears. In the fifth minute, Tamara Horaček equalized at 3:3 but immediately collapsed in pain, clutching her knee. Her match was over, but her teammates fought on.
The Krim family stood united—on the court and in the stands of Arena Stožice. The battle for every ball was relentless, with both teams locked in an intense contest. The first half ended with a narrow deficit for the home side (11:12), and after the break, the visitors extended their lead to +2.
But the Tigresses never backed down. Goals from Betchaidelle Ngombele and Tatjana Brnović tipped the balance slightly in Krim’s favor, putting them ahead 14:13. Riding the energy of their home crowd, they pushed their lead further. Ana Abina scored twice in a row before the final quarter, making it 21:18.
The closing moments were nothing short of dramatic. Podravka Vegeta stayed right on Krim’s heels, with Matea Pletikosić even leveling the score at 27:27 with just three minutes to go. However, the experienced Jovanka Radičević, who was later named Player of the Match, took matters into her own hands, scoring two decisive goals to seal the 30:29 victory.
With these two crucial points, Krim Mercator secured fourth place in their Champions League group. This means they will face Ludwigsburg in the Play-Offs, with the first leg taking place in Germany on March 23, and the decisive return leg at home on March 30 (14.00)! Find tickets HERE.
Ambrosio Martin Cedres, head coach of Krim Mercator: »First of all, I want to emphasize once again how important this match was for us. We were under immense pressure and have been struggling in recent weeks. But despite Tamara Horacek’s injury, we gave everything on the court. I also want to congratulate our opponents, who play very well with such a young team. I believe that despite their close losses in recent rounds, they have a bright future ahead.«
Tatjana Brnović, Krim Mercator player: »I’m impressed by Podravka Vegeta’s performance—they are improving every game, and it’s getting harder and harder to play against them. I’m really happy with today’s match. It has been tough lately; we fought hard, made mistakes, but in the end, we stayed focused and got the win. It’s a great feeling.«
EHF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE, GROUP PHASE, ROUND 14
Saturday, 22nd February 2025, at 18:00
KRIM MERCATOR : PODRAVKA VEGETA (CRO) 30:29 (11:12)
Krim Mercator: Jurič, Radičević 9, Gros 3, Mavsar 4, Abina A. 3, Arenhart, N’Diaye 2, Vojnovič, Gutierrez Bermejo, Pandžić, Horaček 1, Ngombele 3, Brnović 3, Abina E., Grbić 2, Egger.
Podravka Vegeta: Tucaković, Kragulj 1, Vuković 2, Pandža K. 6, Birtić 3, Kosovac 1, Ćurić, Pletikosić 7, Brkić 5, Dramac, Barišić 4, Šimara, Pandža A., Prkačin, Bešen.
7 meters: Krim Mercator 6/6, Podravka Vegeta 8/9
2-minutes suspensions: Krim Mercator 10 min, Podravka Vegeta 6 min
